Why Does Ecclesiastes Talk so Much about “Vanity”?

The Know

The Book of Ecclesiastes contains many references to “vanity.” Ecclesiastes 1:2 is representative: “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.” At first, one might assume that the author is referring to vanity in the way one might think of it today, being excessively proud of one's appearance. However, the Hebrew term hevel, rendered as vanity in the King James Bible, is not about pride in one’s appearance, but something a little more complicated.1

The Hebrew term hevel is often used to describe worthlessness or futility.2 Isaiah 30:7, for example, states, “For the help of the Egyptians is worthless [hevel] and empty.”3 Isaiah 49:4 states, “Then I said, I have worked in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing, and for vanity [hevel].” The term sometimes refers to “wind” or “breath,” as in Isaiah 57:13, “When you cry, let your idols deliver you but the wind will carry them all away, breath [hevel] will take them.” The term can sometimes even refer to idols, meaning something worthless.4 One intriguing use of the term is found in Psalm 39:5, “You have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight, surely everyone stands as a mere breath [hevel].” This verse suggests that everything, including life itself, is ephemeral and impossible to hold on to, like a breath.5

When one keeps these understandings of the term in mind, its frequent use in Ecclesiastes makes more sense. Ecclesiastes 2:11 states, “Then I looked at all the works that my hands had made, and on the work I had worked on, and look, all was vanity and feeding on the wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.” Just as wind is ephemeral, the preacher states that his work in like was ephemeral.6

According to the preacher, much in life lacks permanence and the outcomes one might expect do not always occur. Thus, much in life is “vanity,” like a person attempting to hold on to vapor with their hands: an impossible task. The preacher states, “The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all. Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 2:14–15). In other words, those who are wise and those who are not are all going to die (see verse 16). Thus, in this sense, being wise is “vanity,” because the benefits of being wise are impermanent and sometimes not realized in this life.

This bleak outlook on life might make things appear completely hopeless, but that is not the message of the book. Ecclesiastes 12:8-10 contains the following words, which might seem, at first to be contradictory: “Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity. And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.” The preacher knew that things in life were ephemeral, and that things did not work out the way people might hope most of the time, but he taught people wisdom anyway.7

The Why

The good things in life that people work so hard on sometimes do not work out. Sometimes righteousness is not rewarded in this life. The Preacher taught people wisdom anyway, knowing that things do not always work out the way one might expect or hope. A summation of Ecclesiastes' message could be that doing the right thing does not always work out the way one might hope, but we ought to do the right thing anyway. The book concludes with the following words: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). According to the preacher, obeying God is the right thing to do, and God will balance things accordingly at final judgement, whether things work out in this life or not.

When things do not work out as expected in life, it is useful to remember the words of D. Todd Christfferson, “We ought not to think of God’s plan as a cosmic vending machine where we (1) select a desired blessing, (2) insert the required sum of good works, and (3) the order is promptly delivered.” Rather, “It is essential that we honor and obey His laws, but not every blessing predicated on obedience to law is shaped, designed, and timed according to our expectations. We do our best but must leave to Him the management of blessings, both temporal and spiritual.”8